Markets Move to Price in Rate Hikes as Inflation Fears and Geopolitics Reshape Fed Expectations
Markets have shifted from expecting Federal Reserve cuts to pricing in rate hikes for 2026. The CME FedWatch Tool now shows about a 30% chance rates will end the year higher than the current 3.50‑3.75% range, while odds of cuts fell to 2.9%. The pivot is driven by rising inflation fears as Brent crude jumped from $70 to $111 amid Middle East tensions, pushing the 10‑year Treasury yield to 4.40%. Higher energy prices also keep core inflation above the Fed’s 2% target.
Kalshi Secures License to Offer Margin Trading to Institutional Investors
Kalshi’s affiliate Kinetic Markets received clearance to provide margin trading for professional clients, allowing positions with reduced upfront capital. The feature targets institutional investors and may launch first on new products rather than core event contracts. While the margin capability...
Canada Moves to Ban Crypto Donations for Election Campaigns Following UK
Canada’s government introduced Bill C‑25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, to prohibit cryptocurrency donations and other hard‑to‑trace contributions to political campaigns. The legislation, now at first reading, extends the ban to registered parties, candidates, riding associations and third‑party advertisers,...
Crypto's Future Is Bright in the Context of AI's Assault on Software Firms, Says Kraken-Backed Investment Firm
Kraken‑backed SPAC KRAKacquisition Corp. closed a $345 million IPO and is scouting crypto‑native companies valued between $2 billion and $10 billion. CEO Ravi Tanuku argues that while the crypto market endures a bear cycle, artificial intelligence poses a far greater existential risk to...
NYSE Owner Doubles Down on Polymarket with Fresh $600 Million Investment
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent of the NYSE, has added a $600 million tranche to its investment in prediction‑market platform Polymarket, bringing its total commitment to nearly $2 billion. The funding follows an earlier $1 billion stake and includes a planned $40 million share...
Retail Investors Drive Widespread Bitcoin Selling as Prices Fall
Retail investors with wallets holding fewer than 10 BTC are driving a broad‑based sell‑off as Bitcoin slips below $67,000. Glassnode’s 30‑day Accumulation Trend Score shows near‑zero values for sub‑10‑BTC cohorts, indicating aggressive distribution. Larger holders, especially whales in the 1,000‑10,000 BTC range,...
Ondo, Canton Sidestep Macro Concerns with Institutional Deals as Bitcoin, Ether Slide
Visa announced it will act as a super validator for Canton Network, propelling the CC token up 7% and underscoring the appeal of privacy‑preserving blockchains for institutions. Ondo Network’s ONDO token surged 9% after a tokenization partnership with asset manager...
Top Democrat on House Committee Questions Kraken's Federal Reserve Account
U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, has sent a letter to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City questioning Kraken’s newly approved “limited purpose” master account. The account gives Kraken direct access to the...
GameStop Turned Its $368 Million Bitcoin Stash Into an Options Income Play
GameStop transferred almost its entire bitcoin portfolio—4,709 of 4,710 BTC—to Coinbase Prime and used the coins as collateral for a covered‑call options program. The over‑the‑counter strategy writes short‑dated calls with strike prices between $105,000 and $110,000, earning premium income while...
Why Big Banks Are Snubbing Open Ledgers to Build Their Own Private Blockchains
Big banks are steering clear of public blockchains, opting to develop private, permissioned networks that restrict data visibility. DRW founder Don Wilson argued that full transparency conflicts with fiduciary duties, exposing trade strategies and causing price impact. While Ethereum and...
The NYSE Wants to Bring Blockchain to Wall Street without Breaking the Existing System
The New York Stock Exchange announced it will integrate blockchain technology into its existing market infrastructure rather than replace it, emphasizing a layered, interoperable approach. Chief product officer Jon Herrick highlighted the goal of tokenizing assets to enable faster, near‑real‑time...
Market Structure Bill Compromise Draws Wide-Ranging Reaction From Fractured Crypto Crowd
A compromise on the market‑structure bill, dubbed the Clarity Act, was presented to crypto and banking stakeholders, sparking mixed reactions. Coinbase publicly expressed dissatisfaction, fearing restrictions on its stablecoin‑reward programs, while other participants were “pleasantly surprised.” The proposal’s language could...
Elon Musk's X Hires Crypto-Savvy Design Lead as X Money Payments Push Inches Closer
Elon Musk’s X has appointed Benji Taylor, a veteran of crypto product design, as head of design for both X and its affiliated ventures xAI and SpaceX. Taylor previously founded the self‑custody wallet Family, which was acquired by Aave, and...
BitGo Teams with ZKsync to Build Tokenized Deposit Infrastructure to Bring Banks Onchain
BitGo and ZKsync have begun testing a full‑stack solution that lets banks issue and settle tokenized deposits on a permissioned, privacy‑preserving blockchain. The joint platform combines BitGo’s institutional custody services with ZKsync’s Prividium network, aiming to keep funds within existing...
SBI, Sony Back Startale’s $63 Million Push to Expand Japan’s Tokenized Finance Stack
Startale Group closed a $63 million Series A round, secured by SBI Group ($50 million) and Sony Innovation Fund ($13 million). The Singapore‑based firm builds blockchain infrastructure, including the Strium tokenized‑securities ledger, JPYSC and USDSC stablecoins, and a consumer‑facing app. The capital will be...
Solana Bets on AI Agents: Foundation Says Network Is Becoming Core Infrastructure for ‘Agentic’ Internet
Solana Foundation announced that its blockchain has already processed 15 million on‑chain payments initiated by AI agents, with stablecoins emerging as the default currency for machine‑to‑machine commerce. The foundation argues that this “agentic” internet will shift monetization toward sub‑cent, pay‑per‑use transactions...
Sky-Backed Obex Spreads $1 Billion Across Credit, Energy and AI Assets to Expand Stablecoin Yield
Obex, a Framework Ventures‑backed incubator, is allocating $1 billion to link Sky’s USDS stablecoin with tokenized credit, energy and AI infrastructure assets. The initiative brings together partners such as Maple, USD.ai, Daylight and Centrifuge to create blockchain‑enabled revenue streams beyond traditional...
Wall Street’s Crypto Push Has Been Years in the Making, Says Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley’s head of digital asset strategy, Amy Oldenburg, emphasized that Wall Street’s move into crypto is the result of years of infrastructure development, not a sudden hype‑driven rush. The bank has expanded beyond indirect exposure, adding spot Bitcoin ETFs...
Crypto Finance Is Beginning to Look at Lot More Traditional, Aave and Ethena Founders Say
Crypto finance is shifting from speculative token trading toward fixed‑income‑style products that promise steadier returns. Aave founder Stani Kulechov and Ethena CEO Guy Young highlighted new tools, such as Pendle's fixed‑to‑floating rate swaps, that let users lock in yields despite...
Why Cautious TradFi Firms Love Staked Ether
Regulated insurers are now underwriting staked‑ether products that reference the Composite Ether Staking Rate (CESR), turning a previously speculative crypto activity into a credible institutional yield asset. The CESR benchmark offers a daily, transparent rate, while insurance policies guarantee minimum...
Bitcoin Slips Below $70,000, Circle's 16% Slide Leads Crypto Stock Sell-Off
Bitcoin slipped back below the $70,000 mark, trading around $69,480 as risk assets retreated amid a broader equity pullback. The decline coincided with a sharp 16% drop in Circle’s stock after a draft of the U.S. Clarity Act threatened to...
Tether Hires a 'Big Four' Firm for a Full Audit of USDT Reserves
Tether announced it has engaged an unnamed Big Four accounting firm to perform its first full financial‑statement audit of the $184 billion USDT stablecoin. The audit will scrutinize the token’s assets, liabilities, internal controls and reporting processes, moving beyond the periodic...
Bitcoin May Have Already Bottomed Out Near $60,000. Here’s Why.
Bitcoin’s price has stabilized near $60,000 after a sharp decline from its October high above $126,000. The 30‑day implied volatility indices DVOL and BVIV surged to around 90 % in early February, a level historically linked to market capitulation and subsequent...
Solana Foundation Taps Mastercard, Western Union, Worldpay for Institutional Developer Platform
The Solana Foundation has unveiled the Solana Developer Platform (SDP), a toolkit that lets enterprises build tokenized assets, stablecoins and payment flows on Solana via APIs. Early adopters include Mastercard, Western Union and Worldpay, signaling strong institutional interest. SDP bundles...
XRP Falls 3% as Breakdown Below $1.44 and Bitcoin Weakness Caps Recovery
XRP slid about 2.6% to $1.41 on March 22 after breaching the $1.44 support level. The breakout was accompanied by selling volume more than three times the daily average, pushing the token toward the $1.40 support zone. The move continues a...
Bitcoin Drops Below $69,200 as Trump Gives 48-Hour Ultimatum on Iran Power Plants
Bitcoin slipped below $69,200 on Sunday, trading around $69,192 after a 2.2% drop triggered by President Donald Trump’s 48‑hour ultimatum to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. The geopolitical warning sparked roughly $299 million in crypto liquidations, with long positions absorbing...
It Could Cost You up to $6 Million to Grab Lunch with Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s upcoming crypto luncheon at Mar‑a‑Lago will admit up to 297 guests based on holdings of the TRUMP memecoin, with entry costs ranging from roughly $70,000 to more than $6 million. Rankings are determined by “Trump Points,” which reward token...
Strategy Set for Second-Biggest Bitcoin Buying Quarter Despite BTC Price Slide
MicroStrategy (MSTR) is on track for its second‑largest quarterly Bitcoin purchase, having accumulated 89,618 BTC in Q1 2026, raising its total holdings to 761,068 BTC. The buying pace continues despite Bitcoin’s price falling about 20% from recent highs. Only the fourth quarter...
Why CoinDesk PitchFest Matters Heading Into Miami
CoinDesk PitchFest, a showcase within the Consensus conference, provides early‑stage Web3 founders structured exposure to leading investors and operators. Recent cohorts such as Rise, TransCrypts and zkMe leveraged the platform to secure seed funding and expand product capabilities. The upcoming...
Coinbase Introduces Stock Perpetual Futures Contracts for non-U.S. Customers
Coinbase has launched perpetual stock futures for eligible non‑U.S. retail and institutional clients, expanding its derivatives suite into U.S. equities. The contracts cover the Magnificent 7 stocks and ETFs such as SPY and QQQ, trade 24/7, and settle in USDC. Leverage...
SEC Approves Nasdaq's Move to Support Tokenized Securities Trading
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved Nasdaq’s proposal to let selected securities trade as blockchain‑based tokens, creating a pilot that integrates tokenized shares into the existing equity market. Eligible participants can settle trades on a distributed ledger while retaining...
Bitcoin Sinks Below $71,000, Stocks Close at Session Lows, as 2026 Fed Rate Cut Hopes Fade Further
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned that rising oil prices are feeding into the inflation outlook, prompting the Fed to lift its 2026 inflation projection to 2.7% from 2.4%. While rates were held steady, the comment dampened hopes for a...
Polymarket Acquires Brahma to Scale Blockchain Trading Infrastructure
Polymarket announced the acquisition of Brahma, a DeFi infrastructure firm that built real‑time execution and settlement systems for high‑volume digital‑asset transactions. The terms were not disclosed, and Brahma’s existing products will be retired within 30 days as its team and...
Sam Bankman-Fried's Bankrupt Exchange FTX Set to Repay Creditors $2.2 Billion This Month
The FTX Recovery Trust announced a $2.2 billion distribution to creditors on March 31, marking its fourth payout under the Chapter 11 plan. The payment covers both “Convenience” and “Non‑Convenience” claim classes, with funds transferred through BitGo, Kraken or Payoneer within 1‑3 business...
The Era of Cheap Money Is over as the Iran War Creates a Permanent 'Inflation Floor'
The Iran war has created a lasting inflation floor, signaling the end of the post‑2008 era of cheap money. Persistent oil price spikes and supply disruptions are forcing nations to prioritize energy security over cost efficiency. Central banks, which previously...
Crypto Long & Short: When Price Stops Working, Yield Starts Mattering
Crypto markets are transitioning from price‑driven bets to yield‑focused strategies as Bitcoin sits 50% below its peak and speculative pressure eases. Staking returns—2.5‑4% for ETH and 6‑8% for SOL—are attracting institutional capital, spurring the launch of nearly twenty staking‑linked ETFs...
The Protocol: Ethereum Community Debates Foundation’s New Mandate Document
The Ethereum Foundation released a 38‑page mandate that redefines its role as a neutral steward of the Ethereum ecosystem, emphasizing decentralisation and public‑goods support. The document arrived as the network matures and institutional interest grows, prompting a sharp split on...
Institutions Had ‘Diamond Hands’ During Bitcoin's 50% Plunge, Bitwise's Matt Hougan Says
Institutional investors have shown remarkable resilience in bitcoin, holding positions despite a 50% price plunge. ETF data reveals roughly $60 billion of net inflows since the funds launched in January 2024, with less than $10 billion exiting after the decline. Bitwise CIO Matt...
Bitcoin Eyes $75,000, Nearing 25% Bounce From February Bottom
Bitcoin surged past $74,000, reaching $74,500 and marking a near‑25% rebound from its February low of $60,000. The rally lifted altcoins such as Ether, Solana and Cardano, each gaining over 7%, and sparked gains in crypto‑related equities like Circle, MicroStrategy...
Bitmine Buys 60,999 Ether as Tom Lee Touts Crypto Strength Amid Iran War
Bitmine Immersion Technologies purchased 60,999 ether, valued at roughly $140 million, pushing its total ETH holdings to about 4.6 million tokens worth over $10 billion. The firm maintains $1.2 billion in cash while staking 3.04 million ETH, which currently generates $180 million in annualized revenue and...
U.S., UK, Canada Start Operation Atlantic to Disrupt Crypto Approval-Phishing Scams
Operation Atlantic, a joint U.S., U.K. and Canadian initiative, was launched to dismantle crypto approval‑phishing scams that trick users into granting wallet permissions. These schemes helped generate $14 billion in on‑chain fraud in 2025, with projections near $17 billion for 2026. The...
Metaplanet Raises $255 Million to Accelerate Bitcoin Accumulation
Japanese bitcoin‑treasury firm Metaplanet secured 40.8 billion yen ($255 million) through a premium‑priced share placement, complemented by warrants that could raise an additional 44.5 billion yen, bringing total potential capital to $531 million. The financing introduces a novel mNAV‑linked moving‑strike warrant structure while suspending...
AI Agents Are Quietly Rewriting Prediction Market Trading
AI agents are reshaping prediction‑market trading as Valory's Olas protocol powers autonomous bots like Polystrat on Polymarket. The agent, launched in February 2026, has executed over 4,200 trades and posted single‑trade returns up to 376%. Across the sector, total notional...
Crypto Broker Bitpanda Bets on Banks and Tokenization to Expand Globally Ahead of IPO Plans
Bitpanda, the Vienna‑based crypto broker, reported €371 million in adjusted revenue for 2025, a 16% increase, and grew its user base to 7.4 million. The firm is preparing a Frankfurt IPO in early 2026, targeting a €4‑5 billion valuation. To fuel global expansion,...
Hoskinson Might Be Wrong About the Future of Decentralized Compute
At Consensus Hong Kong, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson defended the use of hyperscalers, arguing that multi‑party computation (MPC) and confidential computing neutralize centralization risks. The article counters that these cryptographic tools merely shift the trust surface and still depend on...
Court Closes Custodia Fight with Federal Reserve Just as Fed Opens Master-Account Door
A federal appeals court rejected Custodia Bank’s final appeal, ending its legal fight over the Federal Reserve’s authority to grant master accounts. The decision arrives as the Fed’s Kansas City branch granted Kraken a limited master‑account‑like facility, marking the first...
One Mysterious Investor Made $2.5 Million Profit in Hours by Betting Big on the Latest Trump Gala News
A dormant crypto whale reactivated a $7 million position in the Trump‑linked memecoin TRUMP, buying roughly 2.2 million tokens after a new Mar‑a‑Lago gala was announced. The purchase sparked a 60 % price surge, lifting the token from a $2.71 low to about...
MoonPay Introduces Ledger-Secured AI Crypto Agents to Address Wallet Key Risks
MoonPay has integrated Ledger hardware‑wallet signing into its MoonPay Agents, a command‑line interface that powers AI‑driven crypto trading bots. The addition requires users to approve every AI‑generated transaction on a Ledger device, keeping private keys isolated from the software agent....
Lido Launches Stablecoin Yield Product to Expand Beyond Ether
Lido, the leading Ethereum liquid‑staking protocol, unveiled EarnUSD, a new stablecoin yield vault that accepts USDC and USDT. The product joins the existing EarnETH vault, creating a two‑vault system that automatically routes deposits across multiple DeFi strategies. By automating allocation...
Crypto for Advisors: Crypto Accounting; Comparing the US and Europe
Crypto accounting remains unsettled as digital assets defy traditional GAAP and IFRS categories, creating valuation and disclosure uncertainty for funds in both the US and EU. The EU is advancing harmonized reporting through the phased rollout of MiCA, while the...